The rise of the fat cat and how to put yours on a weight loss plan

Garfield’s got company: An estimated 60 percent of cats in America are clinically overweight.“Similar to humans, it can cause diabetes, as well as osteoarthritis, since the joints and musculoskeletal system have to support and carry more weight,” says Grace Mengel, service head at Penn Vet’s Ryan Hospital Primary Care Service. Mengel notes that extra poundage can cause a bounty of other problems, too, like inflammation that can lead to kidney and respiratory problems, as well as grooming issues, because the excess body fat makes it difficult for cats to reach certain areas. Overweight cats also often suffer emotionally, drowning in the sorrows of a decreased quality of life.